Diving hurdle



Filed sept. 5, 1929 2 shee'gs-sneet 1 `une 2, 1931. B w OERTEL 1,808,371

DI VI NG HURDLE Filed Sept. 5, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet '2 Z'g j. 3mm/toc 2'Braga YY. Oertel Y f//S Suomen# Patented June 2, 1931 PATENT oFF-ICEA.'BR'UNO W. OERTEL, 0F PORTLAND, OREGON DIVING HURDLE v fr Applicationledrseptember 5, 1929. Serial 110.390,524.

My invention relates to athletic devices, and particularly to a devicefor promoting and teaching skillful diving. It is to be used inconnection with swimming pools and other 75 waters of sufficient depthto permit diving.l In its entirety it consists of a spring board to giveimpetus to a vertically directed diving jump, and a verticallyadjustable hurdle over which those using the device are required to T0launch themselves into the water. When pers formed properly, the diverdescribes a graceful arc, moving head foremost over the hurdle into thewater. The hurdle consists of a horizontally disposed yieldable memberlocated F13 in a Vvertical plane somewhat forward of the freeend of thespring-board. It is supported by two inclined sp'ars projecting over thewater, the inclination of which may be altered to permit raising orlowering the hurdle. For those justlearning to use the device, thehurdle is placed at`its` lowermost position, Vand as the diver gainsproficiency,

the hurdle'is raised so that it will constantly test the divers skill inclearing it. In g5 additionthereto the spring-board is adjustable,to'allow for varying weights of those using it.V In other words, oneadjustment of the spring-board allows of its use by women and children,while another allows of its 6.30 use by men with'equal results. From thes foregoing it will be seen that my invention has several objects. 'f vOne object is to provide aV springboard vadjustable as to springiness.`

Another object is to provide a vertically adjustable hurdle for use withsaid spring board. Y

A further Vobject is to provide in such a hurdle, construction whichwill limit if'not entirely obviateV danger of accidents.

Other objects will become apparent upon reading 4the descriptionfollowing, aided' by the drawings accompanying the same, wherein Figurel is a plan view of my invention;

' Fig. 2 is a front elevation;

Fig. v3 is a side elevation;

Fig. 4 is a detached view partly in section of a safety pulley used withmy invention;

, Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail of a support;

Vand 14 are held together by a suitable water- Fig. `6 is a perspectiveof a spring board adjusting wedge;v 1

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of a spring board support;

FigLS is a view similar to Fig. 7 and l Fig. 9 is a sideelevationrofthespring board used in my invention.

`Similar numerals referto similar parts throughout the several views Inthe drawings 1.1epresents afoundation for my invention, which may beadock, a support especially constructedv therefor, a float, or any mannerof a support found suitable therefor, which faces the water 2. For thepurposes of Vthis description, the member 1 will be called a dock, andon it is provided a support for the spring-board 3. The spring-boardsupport includes an elongated member or beam 4, blocks 5 and 6 and wedge7. A holding bolt 8 passes through the board 3, and the blocks 5' and 6,and into the dock, andV a like bolt 9 passes through the board 3 and thebeam 4 intothe-dock. These bolts securethe stationary end ofthe board tothe supporting elements just described and to the dock'. There is alittle play between the upper block 6 and the lower block 5 to allow.the insertion'of the wedge 7 between the two blocks asin Fig. 8, orbetween theupper block and board 3 as shown in Fig. 7. Wedge 80 I 7 isprovided with an elongated slot 10 which allows it to pass kabout thebolt8. The purpose Vof the first position of the wedge is to radjust theboard for women and children,

and thesecond, for heavier persons. The 85 stationary end of the board 3is provided with two plates 11 and 12, through'the first of which thebolt 8 passes and through thesecond, the bolt 9 passes. These areprovided to prevent the bolts splitting board .Y j The spring-board 3 isa two-ply member consisting'of two tapered units 13 and 14. The unit 14is the-spring member and may be f f made of wood suitable for thatpurpose, such as spruce. The upper unit 13 is of a wood 95 suitable forgiving a foothold, such as cottonwood, and is intended to avoid the useof rubber mats and the like. The two units 13 proof` cement. The board.3 is of suiiicient length to extend substantially over the water 2.

riwo base plates 15 and 16, each have one end fastened by bolts or studs17 to the beam .hand their other ends directed toward each other andfastened by the same means to the dock L yEach base 15 and 16 isprovided with anuinber of openings therethrough or sockets 18, thepurpose of which will be re'- ferred to hereafter. Y Y Y K Two uprightmembers or vertical supports 19 and 20, one of which isspaced from andat one side of the board 3, and the otheri'n a similar position at theother side,- each have supporting the spars at diferent elevations'within the cradles 22.

The purpose of theuprights `19 and 20 is toV provide a support for theinclinednspars 23 and 24150 that their elevated ends 27 mayproject-substantially over the water 2. The

ends 27 are in a vertical plane situated at a substantial distancebeyond the end 2S of the springeboard 3. It is the purpose Vof thesupporting apparatus lheretofore described, to permit the-ends 27 of theVspars to be elevated or depressed, at the Asame time maintaining themin 'substantially the same vertical plane Withregard to parallelity withAthe dock 1. vThebase ends29 of the spars always-rest in correspondingsockets 18 inthe kbase plates 15 and 16.` When the spars are raised bymeans of the pin` 26, the ends 29 of the spars are insertedk invsocketslS remote from beam 4, and when the `spars are lowered, the 'endsare inserted in'c'or'res'ponding sockets proximatefthe beam 4. .l lWhenthesparsY are raised and the ends rest in the sockets remote from beam4,:'ends 27 spread apart,.and when the s'parsareV lowered andthe endsrest in the sockets proximate the beam t, the ends 27 are closertogether, 'thus aiding in Amaintainingthe ends 27 in substantially Vonevertical planeff This ,is shown by the position V'of the ends 27A of thevoutlines 23A and 24A of the spare 23 and 24. VAt the Vrespective ends27 of the spars are swivelly attached grooved pulleys 30- through whichpasses ropel 31. The .rope 31 is of substantial length and endless(though its entiretyis not'shown in the drawings). f

The rope 31 hastwo portions, a' short pojrtion 31A anda llong portionB1B. The long portion 31B Iof the rope B1 'hangs 'down into the water-and'acts-as a weight for maintainingthe short portion 31A in a fairlyhorizonn tal position. The portion 31A Vforms-n the hurdle over whichpersons divev fromy the spring-board "3. If through iniscal'culation vthediver should fall upon Vthe rope portion 31A, itwill easily giveaway, and the long portion has suiiicient length to avoid being drawn upand striking him. As a further safeguard, the pulleys 30 are soconstructed `with a U-shaped frame 32 within which it is free to revolveupon the cone-shaped bearings 84 of the frame projecting intocorresonding c recesses in the hub of the pulley 30. The foregoingconstruction' allows the pulley to be withdrawn fromthefranie, the forceexerted for that purpose, ofcourse, .being'regulated by the v'stiffnessof the frame. The frame is providedwitha swivelhanger 33 by which itisconnected to its spar. j e n Having described my invention, what I claimas new and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is f i,

1. A pair of upright members, said up'- right members each `havinga-'biifurc'atedupper' end -to provide 'al cradle,fthe bifurcated portionof each upright being ro videdr with a plurality of vertically spacedinclined pin holes, an inclined spar carried withineach cradle, a pinextending' through one of the aforesaid inclined holes supporting saidspar,

and a flexible member extending in a substan# tially horizontalmannerbetween the upper ends of said spars.A

. V2. A pairfof upright fmembers, :said jup-il right members each havingabifurcated upper end to provide a cradle, the bifurcated portionl ofeach upright being provided with a lplurality of, vertically spaced'inclinedv pin holes, apinfexte'nding through a 'selected one of saidpin-holes rsupporting avspar, a base plate for 'each spar, each baseplate being provided with a plurality of sockets 'withinone of whichrests the lower endof the spar, and the sockets of one base plate beingarranged relative to the sockets of' the other to afford means forregulating the distancey between the upper endsof said spars. l

3. A pair of upright -inen`il`oers;,l said up#l rightf members' eachhaving al bifurcated* upper end to provide a cradle, lthe bifurcatedportion of` eachY upright being -provided with )a plurality ofAvertiea'llyspaced `pin holes, a pin extending through a selected-*one ofsaid pin 'holes supportinga spar, a base plate for eachspaar;eachbase-rp'late 'being vprovidedfwith a plurality of socketswithin to provide a cradle, an inclined spar carried in each cradle, aflexible member extending in a substantially horizontal manner betweenthe upper ends of said spars, and a base for ,rg each spar havingsockets to receive the lower end of said spar.

,5. A pair of upright members, said upright members each having abifurcated upperend to provide a cradle, an inclined spar carried ineach cradle, a frame swivelled to the upper end of each spar, a pulleyremovably clasped by said frame, an endless rope passing over saidpulleys, said rope being arranged to pro* vide a substantiallyhorizontal portion suspended between the aforesaid pulleys, and a basefor each spar having sockets to receive the lower end thereof.

6. A pair of upright members, said upright members each having abifurcated upper end to provide a cradle, an inclined spar carried ineach cradle, a frame swivelled to the upper end of each spar, a pulleyremovably clasped by said frame, an endless rope passing over saidpulleys, said rope being arranged to provide a substantially horizontalportion suspended between the aforesaid pulleys, a base for each sparhaving sockets to receive the lower end thereof, and the sockets of onebase being arranged relative to the sockets of the other to afford meansfor regulating the distance between the upper ends of said spars. BRUNOW. VOERTEL.

